Consequences from Spanking May Persist for a Decade

Researchers have found that spanking during infancy can negatively impact temperament and behavior among children into their teenage years.

Past studies have indicated that physical punishment, such as spanking, has negative consequences on child development. However, most research studies have examined short-term associations — less than one year — between discipline and development.

Now, in a long-term study, researchers at the University of Missouri discovered the lasting impact of physical discipline during infancy.

“Long-term studies on the links among parenting, temperament, and children’s social behaviors have been limited, especially among racially diverse, low-income populations,” said Gustavo Carlo, director of the University of Missouri Center for Family Policy and Research.

“Our findings show that differences exist in the roles of parenting, temperament, and self-regulation and how they impact a child’s development.”

The study, “Negative emotionality and discipline as long-term predictors of behavioral outcomes in African-American and European-American children,” appears in the journal Developmental Psychology.

Carlo’s team analyzed data from 1,840 mothers and children enrolled in the Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Project. All participating families were at or below the federal poverty level and identified as either European American or African American.

Information was collected when children were approximately 15 months old, 25 months old, and in the fifth grade. Researchers used surveys of mothers and children, home visits, and interviews with fifth grade teachers to complete the study.

The researchers found that if African-American children experienced severe punishment at 15 months they were more likely to exhibit increased aggressive and delinquent behaviors in the fifth grade.

They were also less likely to show positive behaviors, such as helping others. No link was found between punishment and negative emotions for European-American children.

Instead, among European- American children, negative emotions, such as irritability, predicted such outcomes. For both groups, good self-regulation predicted better behavioral outcomes.

“Our findings show how parents treat their children at a young age, particularly African-American children significantly impacts their behavior,” Carlo said.

“It is very important that parents refrain from physical punishment as it can have long-lasting impacts. If we want to nurture positive behaviors, all parents should teach a child how to regulate their behaviors early.”

Carlo suggests that this research will help parents, educators, and other resource providers understand well-being and resiliency in low-income, racially diverse children.

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Rick Nauert PhD

Dr. Rick Nauert has over 25 years experience in clinical, administrative and academic healthcare. He is currently an associate professor for Rocky Mountain University of Health Professionals doctoral program in health promotion and wellness. Dr. Nauert began his career as a clinical physical therapist and served as a regional manager for a publicly traded multidisciplinary rehabilitation agency for 12 years. He has masters degrees in health-fitness management and healthcare administration and a doctoral degree from The University of Texas at Austin focused on health care informatics, health administration, health education and health policy. His research efforts included the area of telehealth with a specialty in disease management.

APA Reference Nauert PhD, R. (2017). Consequences from Spanking May Persist for a Decade. Psych Central.
Retrieved on December 19, 2018, from https://psychcentral.com/news/2017/08/03/consequences-from-spanking-may-persist-for-a-decade/124155.html

Last updated: 3 Aug 2017Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 3 Aug 2017Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.